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ATTD RN EYS Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROPEMAKING MACHINE Thomas E. Lee, Decatur, Ga.

Application September 9, 1946, Serial No. 695,783

My present invention relates to an improved rope making machine of the type especially adapted for making rope out of waste singlings and short ends of yarn.

According to my invention three strands or more of such yarn are twisted about their respective axes, and the twisted strands are wound about a central core. The resulting rope will prove to have substantial strength and may in many cases be substituted for the rope made of conventional and longer material.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical em- .bodiment of my invention according to the best mode I have thus far devised but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplified structure within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the rope making machine of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the opposite side.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view at line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view at line 6--6 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the rope winding reel.

" Figure 8 is an end elevational view thereof.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the stretcher. Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view at line Ill-I of Figure 2.

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the sizer;

and

Figure 12 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like characters indicate like parts I have illustrated the rope making machine of my invention as mounted upon the frame 2 having legs 4 with the vertical side supports 6 and the horizontal support 8.

A motor I!) of conventional electrical type and design provides the motive power for the machine and is mounted on the frame by means of the bracket I2 and the switch [I is conveniently located for access by the operator. The motor Ill is fashioned with a shaft [4 and the gear l8 Claims. (Cl. 57-555) thereon engages with the main operating spur gear 20 which is formed with a take off sheave 22 and journaled on the horizontal support 8.

A gear assembly in connection with the main gear 20 provides the necessary rotary motion to the spools carrying the yarn, and this assembly includes the outer gears 26 having covers therefor 21, and the collars 28 for the gears are securedon the spindles 30. These gears revolve with the main gear about the center thereof, and rotate on their respective axes by means of the gears 32 in journal plates 34 which engage the center gear 36. This latter gear is formed with a collar 38 open at its center as 40 and threadedly engaging the vertical tube 42 through which is fed the core of the rope to be made. .As the main gear rotates in a clockwise direction, see Figure 5, the outer gears will revolve therewith and will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. The intermediate gears 32 rotate clockwise while the center gear remains stationary.

Rectangular shaped frames providing fliers are carried by the gear 20. The frames are mounted on the collars 28 through arms 46 and spools 48 of the arms 49 are rotatably mounted on the spindles 30 and positioned in the flier frames which are provided with spaced eyes 50, 52, and 54 therein through which the yarn passes to eliminate any slack in the lines. These frames on the spindles 30 rotate with the gears 26 and revolve about thecenter of the main gear twisting the yarn about its axis, and twisting the strands of yarn about the core to create a wound rope Bl which passes first after the concurrent winding through the sizer 58 flanged as at 60.

A belt 62 on the sheave 22 provides motive power to the sheave 64 on the shaft 66 journaled as at 68 on the frame, and the gear 10 on this shaft meshes with the gear 12 on the shaft H. The dual sheaves l6 and 18 are connected by belts to the dual sheaves 82 and 84 on the shaft 86 which is supported in the journal brackets 88 on the upper portion of the machine frame. I

A parallel shaft 90 is journaled in brackets 92 and these two shafts 86 and 90 are operably connected by means of the meshing gears 94 and 96.

After passing through the sizer 58, the rope 6! is stretched by multiple passages over the roller -98 having grooves I98 on the shaft '85, and the 3 roller I02 having grooves I04 on the shaft 90. As best seen in Figure 9, the rope BI is passed back and forth in the grooves of the rollers to insure that the rope Wound as described above will be taut.

From the stretcher the rope passes through a second sizer I06 mounted upon the bracket I68 to the tension means which includes the gear IIO on the shaft 86 having a chain II2 driving the gear II4 on the shaft H6 in the bracket I08. A yoke I I8 carries the peripherally grooved roller I secured on the shaft H6, and a second grooved wheel I 22 on shaft I24 which is supported in the sliding bearings I26 and pressed by springs I28 movable vertically in the slots I30 in the frame I32 and secured by cover I34, provide driving and tensioning means for the rope BI passing therebetween.

A sheave 13s on the shaft 90 drives abelt 13s operably connecting the sheave I40 on the shaft I42 journaled as at I44. As best seen in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings, the winding reel for the wound rope 6! passing from the above de-' scribed tension means comprises this shaft I 42, the journals for which are carried by the arm I46 braced at I48, and on this shaft I provide a fixed collar I50, and a movable collar I5I. These collars are provided with flanges I52 from which extend the lugs I54, and the arms I56 of the reel are pivoted to the lugs, and are pivoted to each other as at I58. The movable collar I5I may be adjusted laterally on the shaft I 42 by movement of the adjustmenthandle I60 threadedly engaging the shaft.

From the above description it will be apparent thatthe machine of my invention will, when once started, automatically perform its functions without attention other than supervisory, and the yarn strands upon their respective spools will be twisted and wound into a rope. When the reel has become filled, the reel may be removed by loosening the set screw I62; and removing the adjustment handle. The rope upon the reel may be removed asa coil by collapsing the arms I and sliding the collapsed reel out of the coil.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: x

1, In a rope making machine, the combination which compris s an open box-like frame having a horizontally disposed platform spaced from the lower end thereof, a vertically positioned tubular shaft fixedly mounted in said platform, a horizontally disposed spur gear-rotatably mounted on the said tubular shaft, a plurality of vertically positioned radiallydisposed spindles rotatably mounted on said spur gear, gears on the lower ends of said spindles, a centrally disposed stationary gear fixedly mounted on the said tubular shaft, positioned above said spur gear and located in the same plane as the gears on the spindles, intermediate gears carried by and rotatably mounted on the spur gear meshing with both the stationary gear and gears on the spindles, said spindles having extending ends for carrying spools of yarn, and said spindles having collars on the lower ends thereof spaced above the gears, rectangular shaped frames forming fliers positioned around the spool carrying spindles and carried by the said collars, said frames of the fliers having yarn receiving tension openings therein, a ferrule providinga sizer positioned in the upper end of the box-like frame aligned with the axis of the tubular shaft and positioned to receive a. rope therefrom, an.- other ferrule positioned toreosive the 1 twisted rope from the sizer providing a second sizer, and a reel positioned to receive the rope from the twisting means.

2. In a rope making machine, the combination which comprises an open box-like frame having a horizontally disposed platform spaced from the lower end thereof, a vertically positioned tubular shaft fixedly mounted in said platform, a horizontally disposed spur gear rotatably mounted on the said tubular shaft, a plurality of vertically positioned radially disposed spindles rotatably mounted on said spur gear, gears on the lower ends of said spindles, a centrally disposed stationary gear fixedly mounted on the said tubular shaft, positioned above said spur gear and located in the same plane as the gears on the spindles, intermediate gears carried by and rotatably mounted on the spur gear meshing with boththe stationary gear and gears on the spinddles, said spindles having extending ends for carryingspools of yarn, and said spindles having collars on the lower ends thereof spaced above the gears, rectangular shaped frames forming fliers positioned around the spool carrying spindles and carried by the said collars, said frames of the fliers having yarn receiving tension openings therein, a ferrule providing a sizer positioned in the upper end of the box-like frame, aligned with the axis of the tubular shaft and positioned to receive a rope therefrom, another ferrule posttioned to receive the twisted rope from the sizer providing a second sizer, a reel positioned to re ceive the rope from the twisting means, rope feeding means for drawing the rope through the s'i'z=- ers, and means rotating the said spur gear and actuating the rope feeding means.

3. In a rope making machine, the combination which comprises an open box-like frame having a horizontally disposed platform spaced from the lower end thereof, a vertically positioned tubular shaft fixedly mounted in said platform, a hori= zontally disposed spur gear rotatably mounted on the said tubular shaft, a plurality of vertically positioned radially disposed spindles rotatably mounted on said spur gear, gears on the lower ends of said spindles, a centrally disposed stationary gear fixedly mounted on the said tubular shaft, positioned above said spur gear and, located in the same plane as the gears on the spindles, intermediate gears carried by and rotatably mounted on the spur gear meshing with both the stationary gear and gears on the spindles, said spindles having extending ends for carrying spools of yarn, and said spindles havin collars on the lower ends thereof spaced above the gears, rectangular shaped frames forming fliers positioned around the spool carrying spindles and carried by the said collars, said frames of the fliers having yarn receiving tension openings in vertical sections thereof and spaced yarn receiving and guiding openings in the upper ends thereof, a ferrule providing a sizer positioned in the upper end of the box-like frame aligned with the axis of the tubular shaft and positioned to receive a rope therefrom, another ferrule positioned to receive the twisted rope from the sizer providing a second sizer, and a reel positioned to receive the rope from the sizing means.

4. In a rope winding machine, the combination which comprises an open box-like frame having a horizontally disposed upper end with rope winding means in the frame, a fer-rule forming a sizer positioned in the upper end of the frame, spaced horizontally disposed parallel shafts positioned above the upper end of the frame and rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality of sheaves positioned side by side on said parallel shafts whereby the rope from the sizer is trained around the sheaves and crossed between the sheaves on the different shafts to provide a stretcher, another ferrule positioned to receive. the twisted rope from the stretcher providing a second sizer, a pair of grooved pulleys with overlapping flanges positioned to receive the rope from the second sizer, and a reel positioned to receive the rope from the grooved pulleys.

5. In a. rope winding machine, the combination which comprises an open box-like frame having a horizontally disposed upper end with rope winding means in the frame, a ferrule forming a sizer positioned in the upper end of the frame, spaced horizontally disposed parallel shafts positioned above the upper end of the frame and rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality of sheaves positioned side by side on said parallel shafts whereby the rope from the sizer is trained around the sheaves and crossed between the sheaves on the different shafts to provide a stretcher, another ferrule positioned to receive the twisted rope from the stretcher providing a second sizer, a pair of grooved pulleys with overlapping flanges positioned to receive the rope from the second sizer, springs urging the grooved pulleys together providing tensioning means, a reel positioned to receive the rope from the tensioning means, and means for driving the elements of the machine.

THOMAS E. LEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 13,309 Harris July 24, 1855 122,151 Buell Dec. 26, 1871 258,292 Glover et a1. -e May 23, 1882 540,731 Fretwell et al June 11, 1895 633,957 Graf Sept. 26, 1899 723,806 Avis Mar. 31, 1903 1,757,653 Clements May 6, 1930 1,907,118 Newton May 2, 1933 2,244,415 Arnold, Jr. June 3, 1941 

